


The Winter Wolf’s Name

by Fluffypanda



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anachronistic, Food, Hand Feeding, Kissing, M/M, Pagan Festivals, Winter Solstice, Wishes, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-24 12:13:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17100386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffypanda/pseuds/Fluffypanda
Summary: Snow was thick on the ground, covering every crag and crevice along the mountain. The wind howled over Tony’s head as he slogged his way through it.





	The Winter Wolf’s Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RawWriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RawWriting/gifts).



> For the square "a wish come true" 
> 
> Rawiya asked for some hand feeding and food descriptions and somehow this happened. Sorry, hope you like it?
> 
> Thanks to karmavengers and quinn for your help in sorting this out!

Snow was thick on the ground, covering every crag and crevice along the mountain. The wind howled over Tony’s head as he slogged his way through it. His face burned with cold and his clothes were soaked through and beginning to freeze. A silver locket strung around his neck glowed, lighting his path forward in pale blue.

If he turned, Tony could still see the warm lights from the village below where they were no doubt celebrating the longest night of the year and the rebirth of the sun. He could almost hear the laughter as they played games and exchanged gifts and the screams of children frightened by their parents’ tales of monsters that would come to take them away if they didn’t finish their supper. Tony would do just about anything for a cup of hot mulled wine and a pork pie.

He couldn’t even feel his feet anymore, but still he forced them forward. The locket’s light was dimming and wouldn’t last much longer, he had to find the spring. If he didn’t…he wouldn’t be leaving this mountain anyway.

A wolf howled, high and mournful, and several more joined in the call. Their voices bounced around the mountain, assaulting Tony from all sides. A thread of fear wound through him as he quickened his pace. Something under his foot shifted, sending him tumbling over, and the world disappeared in a flurry of snow.

Tony gasped awake, his body tingling with pins and needles. The air was warm, almost steamy with a thick animal smell overlaid with smoke from the fire in the center of the space. His clothes had been stripped away and he’d been wrapped in furs. He immediately brought his hand to his neck, panic clawing at him when he found it bare.

Three wolves – no, two wolves and a man doing an excellent impression of one – stood watch. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as the man gazed at Tony with steely blue eyes. He was beautiful in the way of knives, sharp and bright.

The wolf on the left, the darker of the two, with silver tipped fur, yawned, showing off its large teeth. The other wolf remained alert, its rusty red fur shining in the firelight.

The wolf-man shuffled forward to crouch over Tony under the low ceiling. Tony gasped as his locket slipped out from where it hung from the man’s neck. A faint glow still shone from within. He had a few more hours yet.

“I need that back.” Tony tried to sit up, reaching for his locket, but couldn’t manage much more than a weak spasm before collapsing.

The wolf-man’s hand came up to clutch the locket against his chest protectively. The wolves growled, hackles rising.

“Iney, Krov,” he said and the wolves stopped growling and settled back on their haunches. “You almost died.”

He stared at Tony, letting his words linger before he added, “That was foolish.”

“Or maybe I have nothing left to lose,” Tony countered thickly, his voice didn’t want to work.

Teeth bared in a wolfish grin, the man seemed amused, if an expression with such jagged edges could be called that. He pushed Tony up until he was leaning against the roughhewn wall behind him.

“When was the last time you ate?” he asked.

Before Tony could answer, he took a mouthful of something from a flask at his hip and pressed his lips to Tony’s. The stranger’s tongue delved into his mouth and Tony had no choice but to swallow some of the liquid down. It was water, but it had taken on an edge of mineral sweetness in addition to the taste of this stranger’s mouth. Tony whined in confusion and the other man released him from the kiss.

Dizzy, Tony gasped for air. The man hummed, turning to collect a jug and a plate of pork pies warming by the fire that Tony hadn’t noticed. He devoured one of the pies, licking the crumbs and juices from his hand, before washing it down with the contents of the jug.

He snatched another pork pie from the plate before the two wolves fell upon it. They snuffled up the food with wagging tails. They almost reminded him of a shepherd’s dog, playful and always hungry.

He tore a piece off the pork pie and held it to Tony’s lips until he ate it. Tony moaned at the flakey, savory crust, practically melting when the taste of the spiced meat within burst on his tongue. Another bite was offered, then another, but the man’s fingers remained in front of him, even after the pastry was gone.

Tony looked up to see him watching him intently, his gaze shifted down to his hand and then back to Tony. At last, Tony understood what he wanted. His face heated as he licked the final flakes of pastry from his fingers. The man rewarded him with a sip from the jug, which contained mulled wine.  

Deciding enough of his strength returned, Tony struggled loose from the furs wrapped around him to scoot closer to the fire. The wolves watched him with unnerving interest.

“I’m Tony,” he offered.

All he got was silence in return.

“I need my locket back.” It contained his last scrap of power, all that was left after—well, it was all he had left. “I need to leave.”

The man snorted, flicking his long hair out of the way. “You aren’t going anywhere like that.”

“I have to reach the King’s spring before the sun rises.” If he even had that much time.

“It doesn’t work like that. It doesn’t just grant wishes.”

Tony’s heartbeat sped up. Did this man know about the spring? “Then how does it work?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

It might not be a coincidence that this man found Tony on his way to the spring. “Who are you?”

“I don’t know.”

Tony’s head tilted. “How can you not know?”

“I used to fight for an empire far to the Northeast. They took everything from me. They said it was so I’d fight better, but I’m not so sure that’s true. All I have left is the cold and the blood I put on my hands for them – and these two.” One of the wolves rested its great head on the man’s shoulder.

Cupping the wolf’s cheek, he snuggled into the fur. The other wolf was still licking the plate for crumbs, but quickly joined them, placing its head in the man’s lap.

“Someone took everything from me too,” Tony said, looking down at his lap. He didn’t want to tell anyone about this, it was too dangerous, but the words were spilling from his lips all on their own. “He left me to die, so I made that locket to help me. It’s fading now—the spring is my only chance. We can make it work, get your memories back.”

The man bit his lip. “I can take you there.”

“Thank you. Can I please have the locket back?”

Pulling back, the man shook his head.

“Why do you want it?” Tony asked.

“It’s warm,” a hint of awe crept into the man’s voice as he cradled the locket in his hands. “I haven’t held anything so warm in – a long time.”

Sighing, Tony asked himself if he was really going to do this. “You can hold on to it—for now.”

The fire had dried and warmed Tony’s clothes magnificently. Tony tried not to blush when the man helped him dress. The man grabbed a lantern and led Tony out.

They exited, not onto the snowbound mountainside Tony was expecting, but rather into a larger cave. It was hard to say exactly how large because the depths were hidden in shadows, with the lantern only illuminating a small circle around them. While the air was a bit colder than the toasty den, it was a far cry from the harsh chill of full winter.  

The cave was full of uneven footing that the man frequently had to help Tony maneuver. Eventually Tony stumbled, feeling light headed. The man caught him and supported him with one arm.

“Are you all right?”

Tony could barely see the locket’s glow. He had less time than he thought. “Let’s just keep moving.”

Leaning against the man’s side, Tony continued to push forward. The man kept giving him worried looks, his eyes bright in the lantern light.  

Just as the air grew thick with steam, the man said, “We’re almost there.”

Soon enough, Tony saw it.

The spring was open to the sky and the steam billowed out to where the moon and stars glittered overhead. Plant life, lush and green despite the season, grew around the spring’s rocks and pools. On the back wall, someone had carved a wolf chasing the sun in large sweeping lines.

He hobbled closer. In his haste, he slipped on the slick rocks. The man scooped him up to carry him the rest of the way. It was cradled in his arms that Tony finally saw the locket’s light go out.

They plunged into the almost too-hot water and knowing it was too late for him, Tony wished with everything he had to return the man’s memories.

The man surfaced, taking Tony up with him, the locket shining brightly at his neck.

“My name is Bucky,” he gasped, lips splitting into a smile.

Leaning in close, Tony brushed the hair out of Bucky’s eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”


End file.
